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Rhys Alpine Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains 2017 (Magnum 1.5L) - First Bottle

Technical Details

Blend	Chardonnay
Winemaker	Jeff Brinkman
Country	US
Region	California Central Coast
Appellation	Santa Cruz Mountains
Vineyard	Alpine Vineyard
Farming Method	Certified Biodynamic
Alcohol	12.8

Rhys Alpine Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains 2017 (Magnum 1.5L)

Chardonnay | US

JD99, VN95, WA94

$214.95 - 1.5L

Always one of the true gems in the Santa Cruz Mountains, we scored a stellar winery-direct parcel of magnums of the stunning 99 point Alpine chardonnay. A true cellar centerpiece and a singular wine that gives you a white Burgundy-like experience without all the premox worries.

This is a truly spectacular chardonnay, one of the best white wines I've had from California in some time. It does need some time to unravel, preferably in a decanter, but when it does, my oh my! Laser-like precision with candied citrus, hints of peach candy and wet chalk, never heavy and so dang pure. This is uber-concentrated despite clocking in at under 13% abv, with salivating acids and piercing minerality that is so hard to find in California chard. It has the perfect amount of hazelnutty and marzipan goodness that makes this rival the very best white Burgundies. But don't take our word for it, Jeb Dunnuck literally fell out of his chair tasting this, calling it, "a Grand Cru Chevalier-Montrachet-like purity and focus on the palate, it's medium-bodied, with vibrant acidity, flawless balance, and an awesome finish. I'd put this up with the best Chardonnays coming out of California and France today."

Technical Details

Blend	Chardonnay
Winemaker	Jeff Brinkman
Country	US
Region	California Central Coast
Appellation	Santa Cruz Mountains
Vineyard	Alpine Vineyard
Farming Method	Certified Biodynamic
Alcohol	12.8%

About The Producer

Located in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Rhys Vineyards' owner Kevin Harvey and winemaker Jeff Brinkman fashion a bevy of brilliant pinot noirs, Chardonnays and syrahs from a diverse set of mostly estate vineyards. While Kevin made wine in his garage starting around 1995, it wasn't until 2001 that he decided to create Rhys Vineyards. He set out with the goal to find hillside sites in California that were similar to those in Burgundy. All of his new sites favor high-density plantings (in some cases upwards of 17,000 vines per acres) of suitcase pinot noir clones, and they're all farmed biodynamically by the team at Rhys. Where they can, they utilize dry farming, but the driest, rockiest sites (Skyline) still require moderate irrigation. Rhys is on fire right now in restaurant lists and in geeky wine cirlces arcoss the country. Try throwing one of these pinot's or Chardonnay's into a blind tasting of Burgundy and prepare to be blown away.

Reviews

Jeb Dunnuck
The 2017 Chardonnay Alpine Vineyard checks in at 12.8% alcohol and has a classic Santa Cruz Mountain minerality and austerity as well as tight, vibrant notes of crushed citrus, lemon curd, white flowers, matchstick, and liquid rock-like minerality. With a Grand Cru Chevalier-Montrachet-like purity and focus on the palate, it's medium-bodied, with vibrant acidity, flawless balance, and an awesome finish. I'd put this up with the best Chardonnays coming out of California and France today. Give bottles 2-3 years of bottle age and enjoy over the following decade or more.

Vinous
The 2017 Chardonnay Alpine Vineyard is all class. Brisk, salivating and delineated, with terrific cut, the Alpine shows just how pedigreed this site is for Chardonnay. Citrus, floral and mineral notes are all finely sculpted in a gorgeous, translucent Chardonnay that bristles with energy. Salivating acids punctuate the clean, bracing finish. In a nutshell, the 2017 Alpine Chardonnay is superb. Don't miss it.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Chardonnay Alpine Vineyard has a pretty nose with peach, green pear, elderflower, crushed stone and a spicy undercurrent. Light to medium-bodied, it's spicy and intense with mineral-tinged fruits, juicy acidity and a long, stone fruit finish.